'Felt humiliated': UAE-based businessman shares ordeal with Indian Customs over his Rolex

Khaleej Times

22-04-2025

When UAE-based businessman Vasu Shroff, known as Dubai's Textile King, landed at Jaipur Airport at 7.30pm on April 12, he was expecting a peaceful welcome. Instead, the 85-year-old entrepreneur said he was 'humiliated and harassed.'
'I was treated like a criminal and smuggler at the airport,' said Shroff, who was visiting India for a two-day trip.
Shroff, a wheelchair-bound business tycoon with a track record in business and community service, flew to Jaipur to meet a few VIP's including Bhajan Lal Sharma, Chief Minister of Rajasthan and attend a religious event. However, his visit turned distressing from the moment he got off the plane. As a helper pushed his wheelchair through the baggage area and toward the exit, an immigration officer suddenly stopped him and asked to see his passport.
'I had no idea why he was asking for my passport,' Shroff said. He was even more surprised when the officer pointed at his Rolex watch and said he could not carry it without declaring it.
Confused, Shroff looked around for a declaration counter. 'To my surprise, there was no proper declaration point at the airport,' he said. The officer directed him to a small 5x3 ft desk and said that this was where items should be declared. 'It didn't look like a red or green channel. It was just a desk,' Shroff added, questioning the airport's infrastructure.
What followed was a frustrating ordeal. Shroff, who was awarded the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman by the President of India for his contribution to business and social service, was made to wait for more than two hours in his wheelchair as officials handled the matter.
'I requested the officers to prepare the paperwork,' he said. Since he had to reach a temple 200 kilometers away before midnight, he asked if he could pay any duty the next day. But they refused. 'I was just trying to get to my destination,' said Shroff. 'But they wouldn't let me go and made me wait for hours.'
It wasn't just the delay that hurt, it was how he was treated. 'They treated me like I was a criminal,' he said. 'In Dubai and across the Gulf, I have always been treated with respect. But here, in my own country, I was made to feel like I did something wrong.'
Shroff is also the chairman of India Club and Indian High School in Dubai.
'Deeply disrespectful' treatment
As the incident stretched on, Shroff's lawyer Dharmendre Singh, an advocate in the Delhi Supreme Court and Jaipur High Court, stepped in. Singh pointed out to the lack of proper customs infrastructure and said the officials' behaviour was unacceptable.
'There were no clear red or green channels at Jaipur Airport,' said Singh. 'The way Shroff was treated was not only unfair but deeply disrespectful.'
Despite Shroff's willingness to cooperate, his watch was taken away. Singh said officials wrongly insisted that the Rolex could only be re-exported to Dubai after paying a questionable duty. 'They misled Shroff and his assistant,' Singh said.
Return to Dubai
On April 14, when Shroff was returning to Dubai, his assistant tried to collect the watch. But officials demanded Rs10,000 (Dh431.68), which Singh said was an unjustified amount. 'The only valid charge was Rs30 (Dh1.30) for locker fees,' he added. 'Yet they insisted on more money, which raises questions about the process.'
Singh said that the Rolex watch worn by Shroff is a high-end luxury timepiece valued at around Rs3.5 million (Dh151,088.05). According to Indian customs rules, luxury items brought into the country without proper declaration may attract a duty of approximately 38 per cent, which in this case would amount to nearly Rs1.3 million (Dh56,118.42) . 'However, instead of following the proper legal procedure, officials at the airport demanded only Rs10,000 in cash, an amount that has no legal basis. This shows they were either unaware of the correct customs law or deliberately ignored it,' said Singh. 'They didn't follow due process, and the random amount they asked raises serious questions about their understanding and intent.'
In the end, Shroff had to fly back without his watch. 'I was forced to leave without it,' he said. 'I felt humiliated. I sat there for over five hours. All I wanted was to meet a few people and visit a temple.'
Shroff later gave power of attorney to Singh, who finally retrieved the watch on April 19 and brought it to Dubai himself. 'I traveled to the UAE just to return his watch,' said Singh.
But the experience has left a bitter memory for Shroff. 'I have lived and worked in Dubai for decades, building a business and helping the community. But when I came to my own country, I was treated like I did something wrong,' he said. 'No one should have to go through what I did.'
Shroff is now calling for better systems at Indian airports, especially in cities like Jaipur, to ensure clear customs procedures and respectful treatment of travellers.